


Holiday Spirit

by ihavelovedthestarstoofondly99



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-24
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-01 23:42:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8642779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ihavelovedthestarstoofondly99/pseuds/ihavelovedthestarstoofondly99
Summary: Captain Swan holiday AU. Emma and Killian are coworkers who decide to spend Thanksgiving together since neither of them have anything better to do. It will continue with a Christmas chapter, and a Valentine's Day epilogue.





	1. Thanksgiving

Emma was leaving work when she was joined by her coworker, Killian Jones. "Hello, Swan. How are you today?”

“Good, I guess. You?” 

“I'm doing well.” 

They fell into a slightly awkward silence as they continued to make their way out of the building. 

As they walked they heard at least 7 different employees discussing their Thanksgiving plans. 

“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” Killian asked. 

“Oh, the usual,” Emma told him. “Eating something with turkey in it while watching the parade.”

“By yourself?”

Emma shrugged. “Mary Margaret and David invited me to spend it with them, but I didn't want to intrude on their family gathering. How about you?”

“I'm afraid my plans are much the same as yours, Swan.”

“Really? You don't have any family or friends?” Emma asked. 

“Perhaps-” Killian looked nervous. “Perhaps we could celebrate together, since neither of us have anything better to do?” 

Emma considered the idea, and she found she liked it better than the alternative. And even if it did suck, there was always next year.

“Yeah, alright,” she said. “Be at my house at nine for the parade.” 

Killian had grinned. “Excellent. I'll bring the pie.”

.....oooooOOOOOooooo.....

Emma pushed her cart through Walmart, trying to figure out what she'd need for a Thanksgiving dinner. Why had she agreed to this? 

Sure spending Thanksgiving alone kind of sucked, but at least then there was no pressure. Last year her meal had consisted of a turkey pot pie. She'd have to be a little classier this year since she was expecting company. 

The worst part? She and Killian weren't even friends. They didn't hate each other, but they weren't close either. 

She eventually settled on two microwavable frozen meals that included turkey and mashed potatoes. Two Thanksgiving staples out of the way. What else? He said he'd bring the pie. Stuffing? No one actually liked that. Green bean casserole? Too much work. Biscuits? That she could do. She headed over to the bakery section and tossed a package of rolls into her cart. One Thanksgiving dinner coming right up. 

.....oooooOOOOOooooo.....

Killian knocked on Emma's door at 8:56 am. Four minutes before the parade started. 

“Welcome to my humble abode,” she said as she answered the door, making a sweeping gesture with her arm to encompass all of her tiny apartment. 

“It's a pleasure to be here, Swan.” He offered her a slight bow. 

She rolled her eyes. “Come in, the parade's about to start.” 

Killian stepped inside. He lifted the grocery bag in his arms. “I brought the pie, as promised. I also picked up some craisins because you're supposed to have cranberries on Thanksgiving. And I brought rum.”

Emma took his offerings and carried them into the kitchen. “Thanks,” she called. “You're clearly more prepared than I am. I didn't even think of drinks. I have water and rum if you want anything.”

“I could do with some water.”

Emma filled a glass and brought it to him, and they sat down to watch the parade in awkward silence. 

…..oooooOOOOOooooo.....

Once the parade ended Emma stood up. “Okay, well I guess that means it's time for lunch.” She went into the kitchen and got the two meals from the freezer and put them in the microwave. Killian followed her and began to unpack the bag he'd brought. 

He eyed her. “Wow. You really meant it when you said nothing home cooked.” 

She glared at him. “Turkey and mashed potatoes. What more could you want for Thanksgiving?”

“My apologies, Love. I was merely jesting.” 

She rolled her eyes at his overly formal word choice. “Let's see this pie you brought.” 

He lifted it from the bag. “Wow,” Emma said. “Did you make this?” It looked really good. 

He grinned at her. “You overestimate my abilities, Swan. It was frozen.”

She grinned back. “My kind of cooking.”

Just then the microwave chimed. Emma turned and pulled out the two meals. “Dinner is served,” she said. 

“And what a fine little feast it is.” He walked around the table and pulled Emma's chair out for her. She smiled at him. It had been a long time since anyone had treated her like a lady. 

…..oooooOOOOOooooo.....

It didn't take them very long to finish their meal, and then they retired back to the living room, taking the bottle of rum with them. They sat down on the couch and Emma began flipping through the channels looking for something to watch. 

“So,” Emma said as she settled on A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, “How come you're celebrating Thanksgiving alone?” 

He tensed a little bit. “My mom died when I was young, and my father abandoned me a year later. I was raised mostly by my brother, but he died about 10 years ago.”

Emma looked at him in shock and sympathy. She could tell this wasn't a subject he liked to talk about. “Killian, I'm so sorry.” 

“It's alright, Love. It was a long time ago. What about you? Do you not have any family to call your own?”

Now it was Emma's turn to look uncomfortable. “My parents abandoned me as a baby. I spent 15 years bouncing from family to family before I finally ran away. No family.”

“I'm sorry, Swan,” he said. 

“It's fine,” she said. “As you said, it was a long time ago.” She paused for a minute and then asked, “Who's Milah? On the tattoo?” Emma had noticed the tattoo a few months ago, but she'd never asked before. 

If Killian was tense before, it was nothing compared to now. He never talked about Milah with anyone. But for some reason he wanted to tell Emma. He began to speak in a strained voice. “Not long after my brother died I met her at a bar. She was older and married. It was stupid.” He took a deep breath and Emma laid her hand on his arm, her gaze filled with compassion and understanding. “We ran away together, but her husband wouldn't let her go. He chased us down and murdered her in front of me.”

“Killian...” Emma began, but trailed off. What could she possibly say to him? She couldn't even imagine anything like that. She took a shaky breath. “When I was seventeen I met a guy and we fell in love. Or at least I thought it was love. He was older, too. This was after I ran away from the system. We stayed together for a few months, running around, committing petty crimes, living in a car or whatever hotel room we could sneak into.” She discreetly wiped at her eyes. “Anyway, he was in trouble. The police were looking for him for a crime he'd committed a few years ago. He'd stolen a case of fancy watches. We were planning to fence them and move to Canada. Instead, he set me up and tipped off the police. I got eleven months, and while I was there I found out I was pregnant.” She looked at him.

“Well,” Killian said, “I think we could both do with a little more of this.” He refilled both of their rum glasses. “What happened to your baby?”

“I gave him up. I definitely wasn't fit to be a mother.” She laughed, although there were still tears in her eyes. “If this isn't the spirit of Thanksgiving...” 

Killian looked her in the eyes. “I'm thankful that you're here, Swan. That neither of us have to be alone this year.” 

“Well I'll drink to that,” Emma said, clinking her glass against Killian's.


	2. Christmas

Mary Margaret was setting the table for dinner with her husband, David. "Emma should be here in 10 minutes," she said. 

"Okay," David said. 

"You know," said Mary Margaret, "I think she has a crush on Killian Jones." 

David looked at her in surprise. "What makes you say that?" 

"I know Emma better than anyone. Trust me on this. Did you know she had him over for Thanksgiving?"

David made a noncommittal sound.

"Why are you acting like you don't approve, David?" Mary Margaret sounded annoyed at him. 

"I'm just not sure he's good enough for Emma, is all." 

"Well I think it's perfect." Mary Margaret declared. 

"What are you planning?" David asked her. 

"Nothing," said Mary Margaret defensively. David narrowed his eyes at her. He knew his wife better than that. He silently vowed to keep an eye on her for the next few weeks.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The Next Week, Office Building

Emma liked Killian. Oh, she'd never admit it to anyone - it'd taken her forever to even admit it to herself - but she did. Ever since Thanksgiving he was all she could think about. But even if she were the relationship type, the two of them were too damaged for it to ever work. Kindred spirits, her inner voice whispered, but she was quick to silence it. 

"Can I have everyone's attention, please," Mary Margaret called out. Emma looked at her friend. She was standing by her desk holding a Santa hat. Once she was sure everyone was listening to her she spoke again, "I'm in charge of the office Secret Santa this year, and it IS mandatory, so please stop by my desk to draw a name at some point today." Mary Margaret beamed despite everyone's grumbling.

Emma sighed. She loved Mary Margaret, but sometimes she couldn't bear the woman's cheerfulness. The only reason they were even having a Secret Santa was because Mary Margaret had begged their boss, Regina. And now Emma had to buy a gift for someone she barely knew and probably didn't even like. 

Emma stood up and walked to Mary Margaret's desk. She may not like it, but she wanted to support Mary Margaret, and no one else was standing up. Besides, it was better to get it over with now instead of prolonging the torture.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Killian watched from his desk as Emma stood and walked over to Mary Margaret. She was bloody gorgeous, Killian couldn't help but notice, even in just a simple black sweater. He wasn't looking for a relationship, but Emma had intrigued him since the day he met her. Beyond merely being beautiful, she was so very guarded (with what Killian knew of her past, he really couldn't blame her) and yet she was so open and loving with her friends, Mary Margaret and David. He was undeniably drawn to her and he wanted to know her better.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Mary Margaret beamed at Emma when she approached her desk. She bent over to retrieve the hat from under her desk - why she wasn't just keeping it on her desk, Emma had no clue - and presented it to Emma. 

Emma forced a smile before reaching into the hat and picking a name. She read the name, and - great. Killian Jones. "Um, can I redraw?" 

"Absolutely not!" Said Mary Margaret. "Who'd you get?"

If Emma didn't know better she'd say Mary Margaret's eyes were sparkling. 

"Killian," she answered. 

"Great!" Said Mary Margaret, now fully grinning. 

As Mary Margaret went back to work, Emma sighed and returned to her own desk.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
After Emma returned to her desk - looking rather annoyed about something - Killian decided it was his turn to visit Mary Margaret.

When he got to her desk she smiled at him like the cat that ate the canary. "Killian! Wonderful!" She bent down and retrieved a bag. "Draw a name!" 

Killian selected a slip of paper and he smiled when he read the name on it. Emma Swan. He looked over to where the blonde was sitting, a scowl on her face. This would be fun.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Emma glanced up from her work to see Killian Jones swaggering towards her. Just what she needed. 

Killian sat on her desk. "I'm working," she said, eyes glued to her computer. 

"Hello, Swan. Good to see you, too. I'm fine, thanks for asking." 

She glared at him. "What do you want?" 

"You know, Swan, you can be very rude sometimes. All I want to do is have a nice conversation with my good friend, but you won't look up from your computer." 

She gestured to her computer. "You know this is what we're paid to do, right?" 

"Boss is out of the office today, love." When she only continued to stare at her screen he blew out an exasperated breath. "Fine, I'll be quick. Me and some people from the office are going out for drinks tonight. Want to come?" 

Emma exhaled. "Fine." 

She went back to her work - a clear dismissal - so Killian left, a grin crossing his face. Emma had agreed. Now all he had to do was convince some other people to come along as well. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

At 5 o'clock Emma stood up and stretched her muscles. All she wanted to do was go home and put on her pajamas, but unfortunately she'd made plans. 

"7 at The Rabbit Hole!" Killian called to her as she left. 

Emma had gone home. She'd changed into something more comfortable and had dinner. Now she was trying to decide what to wear. She wanted to look good. She'd never admit this out loud, but she wanted to look good for Killian. She wanted him to do a double take when he saw her. She wanted him to want her. 

Emma shook her head, disgusted with herself. She shouldn't care what Killian thought. It didn't matter. It's not like she wanted a relationship or anything. She should just wear the sweats she had on.

In the end she decided on jeans and a sweater. Killian didn't do a double take when he saw her. But he did grin widely when he waved her over. 

She grabbed a seat next to him. "I'm so glad you could make it, Swan," he said. 

Emma looked around at who else was there. There were David and Mary Margaret, Belle and Will, and Regina and Robin. Great. Couples. When they all inevitable paired off that'd leave her and Killian. Fantastic. She wondered if he'd planned this. 

As the night progressed, the couples paired off, as Emma had predicted. David and Mary Margaret went home early. Regina and Robin were hanging out at the bar. Belle and Will were still sitting with them, but they were now sharing a chair. 

Emma and Killian were both slightly drunk by now. "So, Emma," he said, "Last time we got drunk together we talked about all the deep stuff." Emma snorted at the reminder. "I say this time we talk about the superficial things." 

"Sounds good to me," Emma said. 

He grinned. "What's your favorite color?" 

She thought for a moment, then said, "Yellow. You?" 

"Black," he said. She rolled her eyes. "Favorite holiday?" He asked. 

She made a face. "Not really a holiday person." 

"Oh, come on," he said. She shook her head. "You have to pick, Emma." 

"Okay, fine. Fourth of July. I like the fireworks. Now it's my turn. Favorite band?" 

"The Enemies," he answered immediately. 

"Never heard of them," she said. 

He sighed. "Most people haven't. They're an Irish rock band." 

"How did you discover them?" 

"My brother," he said simply, and Emma instantly felt bad for bringing it up. 

She changed the subject. "Favorite food?" 

"No, it's my turn," he said. "Favorite food?" 

"You stole my question!" 

"And you're obligated to answer. Rules of the game." 

"I didn't realize there were rules to this." 

"There's always rules." 

"Grilled cheese. And onion rings." 

"Really?" 

She nodded. "What about you?" 

"I enjoy mackerel and grapefruit."

She looked at him like he was crazy. "Seriously?" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The night went on and they continued to talk. It got later and later. Without either of them noticing, their friends all left. They were both pretty drunk this point. Emma was leaning against Killian (when had that happened?) and he had his arm around her, his thumb gently caressing her shoulder. She looked up at him and -oh. This was dangerous territory. His lips (which she couldn't seem to stop staring at) were just inches from her's. He was looking at her lips, as well. He flicked his eyes up to her's, and smiled just a little bit. He began to lean in, and Emma abruptly pulled away. She stood up, muttering about having to get home, and promptly fled.  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
Why? Why had she almost let herself kiss him? Why HADN'T she? Why'd she go out with him in the first place? How was she supposed to face him at work now? And she still had to buy him a gift. Gosh, what a mess. 

In the end, Emma got him a cd by the band he'd mentioned, The Enemies. At the office Christmas party she did her best to avoid him. She placed her gift under the tree and spent the whole night hiding with David and Mary Margaret. When it was time for the gift exchange, she opened her's. It was from Killian. Great. She opened it and found a beautiful swan necklace. She loved it. She knew she should go thank Killian. She wanted to thank him. But she couldn't talk to him. Not right now. She slipped away while he was talking to Robin. 

~~~New Years Eve~~~

David and Mary Margaret were having a party. Emma was there. So was Killian. She did her best to avoid him for most of the night, but finally she had to go talk to him. 

"Hi." 

His face lit up. "Hello, Swan." 

"I wanted to thank you for the necklace. I love it." 

"You're wearing it now," he observed. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, before clearing his throat. "And I was hoping to get the chance to thank you for the cd." 

"You're welcome," she said. 

An awkward silence settled over the two of them. Finally Emma said, "I'm sorry I ran away so quickly the other night." 

"And I'm sorry for..." He looked embarrassed. "I mean, I'm sorry-" 

Emma grabbed his arm. "No don't be sorry." 

Just then their friends began to count down. "10! 9! 8! 7! 6!" 

Emma looked at his lips, then up to his eyes. She smiled. 

"5! 4! 3! 2! 1!" 

Emma leaned in and pressed her lips against his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really meant to get this up earlier. Sorry about that. 
> 
> The Enemies is the band Colin O'Donoghue was in, btw. 
> 
> I know I originally said I'd have a New Year's chapter, but I decided to combine the two. So, I'll see you on Valentine's Day.


	3. Valentine's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's my final chapter. I know it's short, and kind of crappy, but I hope you enjoy it.

Killian and Emma had been dating for over a year now. They'd been living together for nearly 6 months. And Killian thought it was time for the two of them to take the next step. 

When he'd asked her what she wanted to do for Valentine's Day, she'd said just a quiet evening in. So, that's what she was going to get (except maybe not the quiet part). 

Killian had feigned an illness that morning so that Emma would go to work without him, and he'd spent the entire day preparing. Now it was 5;30, and Emma would be home any minute. 

All the lights were off, the room lit only by a dozen candles. Soft music was playing over the radio. In the center was a table, covered with a white table cloth. He'd debated for a week what meal to prepare, but he'd eventually decided on two frozen meals, sure that the reminder of their first date would make Emma smile. Instead of the rum they'd drank then, tonight he set out wine. 

In his pocket was a ring box. Inside was the ring his brother had once given him. It would look beautiful on Emma's hand. 

He was giving the room one final once over when he heard the doorknob begin to turn. He spun around as Emma walked in, gazing at the room in astonishment. 

"Wha-" she begin, but trailed off as Killian bowed in front of her, bringing her hand to his lips. 

"Happy Valentine's Day, Love," he said. He helped her remove her coat, then took her hand again, leading her to the table. 

"I thought you were sick today," Emma said with a smile. 

Killian grinned. "That may not have been entirely true. My apologies, Love, but I needed the house to myself." 

"Well, I like what you've done with the place," Emma said as he pulled out her chair for her. 

Just as Killian had predicted, Emma did laugh when he put her microwave meal in front of her. 

When he finally sat down across from her, she reached out to take his hand, caressing it with her thumb. "I love you," she said. 

He smiled at her. "I love you, too." 

After they'd finished eating, they talked about their day. "Really, thanks for all this," Emma said. "It wasn't a particularly good day at work, and I was thinking that I'd come home to find you sick in bed. Not that I mind that, but it's not exactly what I had in mind for Valentine's Day." 

"And what did you have in mind, Swan?" 

Emma smiled coyly. "Something romantic." 

"Like this?" Killian asked, rising from his seat and dropping onto one knee in front of her. 

"Killian..." she gasped. 

He took her hand. "Emma Swan, you are my true love and my happy ending. The past year with you has been the happiest of my life, and the only future I want is one with you in it. So, will you do me the honor of being mine forever and marry me?" 

Emma was openly sobbing as she fell into Killian's arms. "Yes," she whispered against his neck. "Yes, yes, yes, yes." She pulled back only far enough to press her lips to his. 

The two of them stayed there on the floor for some time, both perfectly content as they held their happy ending in their hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that proposal wasn't too cheesy for y'all. 
> 
> Also, I'm a little worried that the ending was a little OOC, but this was the best I could do. Sorry. 
> 
> But thanks for reading, anyway!


End file.
